Tag Archives: classic cars

Havana, Cuba’s Capital and a Must-Visit

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Cuba’s capital Havana is one of the world’s great cities. Its combination of history, architecture, transport, economics, culture and climate can’t be copied.

Back in 2016-17 I was lucky enough to visit this unique place including for new year’s eve. Coincidentally, also in Havana I saw Placido Domingo, was there when Fidel Castro died and bumped into Enrique Iglesias’ Subeme La Radio video shoot.

This video provides a taste of Havana’s streets:

Following are snapshots of Havana from the trip. Continue reading →

Cuban Communist Country Products

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During Rocío and my visit to Cuba we saw multiple old and modern artefacts from other communist or former communist countries. Considering Cuba’s post-revolution political alignment and the United States embargo this should not have been a surprise.

Communist Crockery

A tip for those visiting Cuba: at your guest house check under the china for its origin. With limited access to goods, Cubans often keep items for decades, including their stoneware. We noticed this at our first meal in Cuba with crockery made in Czechoslovakia, a European country last existing in 1992.

Crockery made in Czechoslovakia at our first Havana guest house

Crockery made in Czechoslovakia at our first Havana guest house

At Santiago de Cuba we used a porcelain coffee set produced in Bulgaria, most likely from its pre-1990 communist period. Continue reading →

Buildings of Havana, Cuba

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The Neo-Mudéjar Ursulinas Palace (Palacio de las Ursulinas) building in Old Havana

The Neo-Mudéjar Ursulinas Palace (Palacio de las Ursulinas) building in Old Havana (Habana Vieja)

To my untrained eye, Havana’s buildings were special. To architect Rocío’s, they were inspiring. Interesting buildings or aspects of buildings appeared around almost every corner and this blog post documents a tiny proportion of them. Continue reading →

Classic Cars in Havana, Cuba

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Tourist couple in classic convertible hire car driving past El Capitolio

Tourist couple in classic convertible hire car driving past El Capitolio

It maybe stereotypical but it’s true, Havana is full of classic United States cars from the 1950s and earlier. Historic economic and political anomalies led to Havana (and Cuba as a whole) being the best place in the world for such vehicles. Cubans can’t import auto-mobiles privately so they do everything they can to keep their old cars running.

Blue Chevrolet in front of yellow building

Blue 1950s Chevrolet in front of yellow building

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Stumbling Upon Enrique Iglesias’ Old Havana Video Shoot

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I grew up with Julio Iglesias’ music in the family home. His third child Enrique is now a mega famous singer himself.

Subeme La Radio ft. Descemer Bueno, Zion & Lennox video shoot

Video production people milling around on Cárdenas Street, Old Havana

Returning from Soroa, Rocío and I were walking to our accommodation in Old Havana (Habana Vieja) when we arrived to a closed road. On Cárdenas Street people and film production equipment surrounded its notable art nouveau houses.

Sign on van supporting Subeme La Radio video production

Sign on a production van parked on a side street; the Liverpool production was in association with Ogilvy, Oxígeno, TV Casa Productora and Island Film

Continue reading →

Russia’s Constructivist Havana Embassy

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The Russian Embassy looking out over its surrounds

The Russian Embassy looking out over its surrounds

Opened by the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s, the stark Russian Embassy dominates its patch of Miramar, the residential and diplomatic district west of central Havana. Likened to a sword or syringe, the tower reminds me of an unpainted and unfinished Transformers machine. Continue reading →

An Old Havana Car with a Japanese Connection

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Cuba is known for its classic American cars from the 1950s. The country’s streets also carry Soviet vehicles from the 1960s to the 1980s along with modern Chinese auto-mobiles. However, old Japanese cars are a rarity.

The Havana man driving his old Toyota

The Havana man driving his old right-hand drive Toyota

On Rocío and my second full day in Havana we saw this ancient Toyota sedan. The sighting piqued Rocío’s interest as a previous long-term resident of Japan.

Rocío with the old Toyota in Havana's street

Rocío with the old Toyota in Havana’s street

The car’s proud owner told us he got his Toyota while visiting Japan with the Cuban military in 1985.

The owner standing proudly next to his car

The Toyota owner proudly standing next to his car; note his right arm tattoo sleeve

In typical Cuban fashion, the car is still running decades after manufacture. It is also right-hand-drive, another point of difference to other Cuban vehicles. The owner wore a tattoo sleeve on his right arm, probably for sun protection as opposed to fashion.

Chevrolets, Architecture, Art and Food in Pinar del Río

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160 kilometres west of Havana is the intriguing city of Pinar del Río. Not a major tourist destination itself, south-west of Pinar del Río is the famous Robaina cigar tobacco farm Finca El Pinar and to the north, Viñales’ wonderful landscapes.

Classic Chevrolets

After the new year in Havana Rocío and I were ready to go west. From Parque de la Fraternidad we caught the local P-12 bus to near the National Bus Terminal (Terminal de Ómnibus Nacionales). On 19 de Mayo Avenue we took an old Chevrolet van colectivo to Pinar del Río. Part way there the vehicle experienced a flat tyre.

Classic Chevrolet Van on roadside between Havana and Pinar del Río

Our classic Chevrolet van parked under a tree on the roadside between Havana and Pinar del Río

While changing the tyre, the driver used a rock to support the axle. The van’s lights contained images of Che Guevara.

Driver Changing Tyre on way to Pinar del Río; note the Che Guevara images on the lights and the rock supporting the vehicle

Driver changing tyre on way to Pinar del Río; note the rock and the Che Guevara image

Continue reading →